Bit.



No. 898,394. PATENTED SEPT. 8, 1908.

F. SWALES.

BIT.

APPLIOATION FILED MAY 18, 1907.

' Surrey, England,

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

FRANK SWALES, OF EAST SHEEN, ENGLAND.

BIT.

To all whom it may concern: Be it known that I, FRANK SwALEs, a subjectof the King of Great Britain, residing at Palewell Lodge, East Sheen, inthe county of gentleman, have invented certain new and usefulImprovements in or Relating to Bits, of which the following is aspecification. I

This invention relates to bits for animals, of the kind in which asnaflie bit and a curb bit are combined and which are applicable forriding and driving and capable of employment as a snaflle or curb or asa comined snaffle and curb bit.

According to my invention in a bit of the kind referred to, the mouthbar is loosely supported by plain snaffle rings having eyes whichintersect the said rings and in which the side pieces are arrangedeXteriorly to the snaffle rings and adapted to carry the curb chain; thebit having comparatively short side pieces or side cheeks formedintegrally with or secured to the mouth bar. The curb bit is formed witha spiral or volut e shaped hook for the attachment of the curb chain.The snafiile bit may if desired be employed Without the curb; it ishowever preferred to combine the snaffle bit and curb bit;

In connection with snafile bits it has usually been the practice toemploy a jointed or a straight bit and to connect the rings or sidepieces with the head piece or bridle; the arrangement which will be wellunderstood, is however unsatisfactory owing to the readiness with whichthe bit may be drawn through the mouth and the inefficiency infurnishing a highly satisfactory means of guiding the animal. Inconnection with curb bits also there are many disadvantages as atpresent ordinarily constructed, the side pieces or side cheeks beingconnected at their upper ends with the head piece and the curb chainwhile at their lower ends the curb rein is attached. As a result of thisconstruction, when the curb rein is pulled, the side cheeks are turned,together with the mouth-bar, but it will be seen that the bit has inreality afloating fulcruminasmuch as the attempt'to apply the curb bypulling the curb rein causesv theside ieces to-eXert a pull on the headpiece of the ridle and this being practically inextensible the bit isdrawn back in the mouth. Thus no curbing effect Specification of LettersPatent.

Application filed May 18, 1907. Serial N 0. 374,447.

Patented Sept. 8, 1908.

is obtained, the mouth-bar in most cases finding a bearing against themolars or grinders. The head-piece is moreover drawn forward anddownward producing ressure upon the top of the ammals hea Such pressurewhich is much greater than is ordinarily estimated, is veryobjectionable and causes the animal to lower the head. In addition tothe above objections the operation of the bit entails the use of sidepieces or cheeks of considerable length and owing to the force requiredand the necessity for adopting a slender form of side pieces fracturefrequently resultsalthough steel is employed in the manufacture of suchbits.

One of the objects of this invention is to enable metalby which is meantnon-corrodible metalto be employed in the production of bits.

With a view to obviating or minimizing the above mentioned disadvanta esand providing a bit which will efiicient y curb the animal withoutcausing top of the animals head, it is proposed to support the mouth barby means of snaflle rings arranged one near each end of the mouth bar;the latter takes a bearing in eyes formed on the said rings, the saideyes being intersected approximately by the main circular portion of thering. The

head piece of the bridle is attached to the snafile rings. The latterserve the purpose of burs and greatly assist in guiding the animal. Theeyes pertaining to the snaffle rings may be arranged differently ifdesired but I have found the arrangement above referred to answer wellin practice. The mouth-bar may be of any desired type, such as straight,Port, Mullen, or any other suitable form. The side-pieces may be securedto the mouth bar in any convenient manner and, for the purpose of thepresent invention, are comparatively short. of the side pieces areformed as volutes and constitute outwardly inclined hooks for thereception of the curb chain, the aforesaid outwardly inclined formationaffording a ready means of attaching the curb chain while insuring thelatter from accidental detachment. The lower ends of the side'cheeks areprovided with means wherebythe curb rein may be attached.

In order that the said invention may be pressure upon the The upper endsclearly understood and readily carried into effect, I will proceed todescribe the same with reference to the accompanying drawings, in whichFigure l is a View illustrating a bit con structed according to myinvention and adapted for riding; the bit being shown ap-' plied to ahorse. Fig. 2 is a perspective View" of the bit detached from the bridleand drawn to a larger scale; Fig. 8 being a corresponding side view, andFig. 4 a front elevation. Figs. 5 and 6 are side views of bits havingside pieces adapted for driving. Fig. 7 is a perspective view of asnaffle bit arranged according to my improved method.

Referring to Figs. 1 to 4 the mouth bar A is formed or provided withside pieces B and supported by the snaffle rings 0; the latter beinformed each with an eye C through whic h the mouth bar A passes. Theside pieces B may thus be moved inde endently of the snafiie-rings C.The curb c ain D is attached to the side pieces B by means of one of thelinks of the chain, the said link being engaged with outwardly extendingvolute hooks B" formed at the upper end of each of the side pieces. Atthe lower end of each side piece, rings B are provided for theattachment of the curb rein E. The outwardly extending end of the hooksB afiord a ready means of attaching the curb chain while its detachmentis obviated by the turns of the volute. The curb hook usually employedis thus rendered unnecessary. The snaffle rein F is attached to thesnafiie rings, the latter being attached to and carried by or suspendedfrom the head piece G.

In Figs. 5 and 6 two forms of curb driving bits are shown in which themouth bar is supported by a snaffle ring 0 in a similar manner to thatdescribed with reference to Figs. 1 to 4, the attachment of the curbrein being effected by buckling the rein in the one or the other of theslots B B formed in the sidepieces B.

The improved construction of bit may be advantageously employed inconnection with a bearing rein without the application of a second bit;the said bearing rein may be of the kind usually known as the sidebearing rein, or the over draw check rein may be used.

When the bit is used as a snaffle simply (see Fig. 7), the mouth bar maybe formed with any suitable side pieces or an extra ring may beemployed. As a snaffle bit the improved means of attaching the ring tothe mouth bar and head piece enables the mouth bar to be held in roperposition in the mouth and effectua ly prevents the same slipping throughto one side of the mouth. A further result is that the guiding effect isexercised instantaneously thereby superseding the double ring snaffieordinarily employed. The improved mode of attachment also insures a moredirect pull on the bar without causing tension on the head piece andconsequent pressure on the head of the animal.

By means of the improved construction, the curb bit not being attachedto the bridle or head piece and the mouth bar turning or rocking in theeye of the snaffle ring, there is no perceptible displacement at theoint of attachment with the side pieces 0 the bridle or head piece andno appreciable movement of the bit takes place. Consequently there is nopressure on the top of the animal s head tending to cause the loweringof the latter. On the contrary the effect is to cause the raising of thehead owing to the curb chain performing its function efiiciently.Moreover, owing to the curb chain being connected above the fulcrum ofthe curb a direct effect is obtained with the chain on the lower jawthus enabling shorter side pieces or checks to be used. The arrange mentalso insures the curb chain retaining its position in the chin groove.The rings being against the cheeks of the animal and the sides piecesbeing arranged in a plane exterior thereto, the liability of the animalholding the bit is obviated. Further the chin strap, usually connectedwith the ring on the curb chain, is dispensed with, the means ofattaching the curb enabling the same to follow the movements of thehorses jaw. A considerable economy in manufacture is hereby effected byreason of the chin loops being rendered unnecessary, the forming andfinishing the said loops heretofore entailing operations whichconsiderably increased the cost of producing the bits.

What I claim and desire to secure by Let ters Patent of the UnitedStates is 1. In a bit, the combination of a mouth bar, plain snaffle rin's having eyes intersecting said rings for Ioosely supporting said mouthbar, and side pieces formed integrally with said mouth bar and arrangedexteriorly to the snaffle rings for carrying the curb chain.

2. In a bit, the combination of a mouth bar, plain snaffle rings havingeyes intersecting said rings for loosely supporting said mouth bar, andshort side pieces secured to the mouth bar and arranged exteriorly tothe snaflie rings for carrying the curb chain.

3. In a bit, the combination of a mouth bar, plain snaffle rings havingeyes intersecting said rings for loosely supporting the mouth bar, sidepieces mounted on said mouth bar, and s iral shape hooks formed on theside pieces or attachment of the curb chain.

4.. In a bit, the combination of a mouth bar, side pieces formed on saidmouth bar for connection with the curb reins, volute shape hooks on thesaid side pieces for In testimony whereof I afliX my signature holdingthe curb chain, snafiie rings having in presence of two Witnesses. eyesintersecting said rings for supporting the mouth bar so that the lattermay move FRANK SWALES' 5 rotatively, the said rings being adapted forWitnesses:

connection with the head piece of the bridle WALTER. J. SKERTEN,

and with the snaffle rein. T. SELBY WARDLE.

